Judgement on compatibility between ink cartridges and printing apparatus
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorsKiyofumi Usui, Hideto Matsuzaka, Kazuo Koshino, Toshihisa Saruta
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Abstract
The object of the present invention is to provide a technique that flexibly determines compatibility of an ink cartridge with a printing apparatus with high accuracy. The ink cartridge has a storage element that stores therein compatible driver information, which is used to specify a printer driver compatible with the ink cartridge. The printing apparatus collates information of a selected printer driver with the compatible driver information and determines compatibility of the ink cartridge with the printer driver. The printer driver changes over the method of generating print data, based on the compatible driver information.
Claims18
An ink cartridge attachable to a printing apparatus, said ink cartridge comprising:
- a storage element that stores therein compatible driver information, which is used to specify a printer driver compatible with said ink cartridge, wherein the compatible driver information expresses compatibility of said ink cartridge with multiple printer drivers in a stepwise manner.
A printing apparatus that records an image on a printing medium, said printing apparatus comprising:
- a main body storage unit that stores therein printer driver information, which is applied to specify a printer driver used for printing;
- an input module that reads a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printing apparatus;
- and
- a compatibility determination module that collates the input information with the printer driver information stored in said main body storage unit and determines compatibility of said ink cartridge with the printer driver.
A print control apparatus that processes master image data and thereby generates print data, which causes a printer to print an image, said print control apparatus comprising:
- an input module that reads a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printer;
- and
- a processing control module that changes over a method of generating the print data, based on the input information.
A method of controlling a printing apparatus that records an image on a printing medium, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving printer driver information, which is applied to specify a printer driver used for printing;
- (b) reading a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printing apparatus;
- and
- (c) collating the input information with the printer driver information to specify adequacy of printing.
A print control method that processes master image data and thereby generates print data, which causes a printer to print an image, said print control method comprising the steps of:
- (a) reading a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printer;
- and
- (b) changing over a method of generating the print data, based on the input information.
A recording medium in which a computer program for controlling a printing apparatus that records an image on a printing medium is recorded in a computer readable manner,
- said computer program causing a computer to attain the functions of:
- receiving printer driver information, which is applied to specify a printer driver used for printing;
- reading a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printing apparatus;
- and
- collating the input information with the printer driver information to specify adequacy of printing.
A recording medium in which a computer program for processing master image data and thereby generating print data, which causes a printer to print an image, is recorded in a computer readable manner,
- said computer program causing a computer to attain the functions of:
- reading a predetermined piece of information from a storage element included in an ink cartridge attached to said printer;
- and
- changing over a method of generating the print data, based on the input information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.